Hostelworld Press Room

Hostelworld.com reveal winner of International Video Competition

Hostelworld.com, the largest online provider of hostel bookings, today announced that 25-year-old Elizabeth Holbrook of Fredericktown, Missouri in the USA is the winner of the "Hostelworld.com Connects" Video Competition.

The Hostelworld competition encouraged individuals to submit a video that showed the connection they make when travelling. From the hundreds of entries 6 finalists were chosen and sent off on an all expenses trip to 6 of Hostelworld's top destinations - San Francisco, Munich, Madrid, Cusco, Florence and Auckland. They were tasked with creating their own city video guide. While some finalists modeled their videos on Hostelworld.com editor Colm Hanratty's award winning "10 things you need to know about…." Videos, each finalist was given complete creative license.

Holbrook's video, "City Video Guide to San Francisco," was selected by Hostelworld.com users in an online poll where thousands of people voted for their favorite videos. She faced stiff competition from Australian Anthony Fowlestone, New Zealander James Manttan and Brits Mark Harrison, Liam Southall and James Trosh. As the grand-prize winner, Holbrook will now embark on a round-the-world trip worth £2,000 with £1,000 spending money

Holbrook's video captured the essence of San Francisco, highlighting the diverse culture and must see attractions. An avid traveler, Holbrook recently returned from a 17 month trip from Asia where she taught English in Korea and backpacked across South East Asia. Holbrook graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a degree in advertising and hopes to pursue a career in travel journalism.

The "Hostelworld.com Connects" Video Competition kicked off to coincide with Hostelworld's new video site which has hundreds of videos including walk-through hostel tours, user-generated content and city video guides for the world's top destinations. Hostelworld.com's highly interactive site already offers an extensive travel network, free downloadable podcasts and more than 2 million independent user reviews of properties on the site.

About Hostelworld.comHostelworld.com is the leading provider of online reservations to the budget, independent and youth travel market. It offers confirmed online reservations for over 20,000 hostels and budget hotels in more than 6,000 destinations spanning 170 countries worldwide. The site also offers budget travelers over 2 million user reviews, free podcasts, customized city guides, a travel social network and more. Hostelworld.com is headquartered in Dublin and is fully owned and operated by Web Reservations International Ltd (WRI).